The 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) continued into its third day on Friday, as delegates from across the Commonwealth assembled at Parliament House to take part in discussions focused on reinforcing democratic institutions and updating parliamentary practices. Chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the conference has brought together 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth nations, along with representatives from four semi-autonomous legislatures, highlighting its international importance.

Friday’s agenda features a session on innovative ways to improve public awareness of parliamentary functioning and to encourage citizen engagement beyond elections. This discussion will be led by Manzoor Nadir, Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana. Another key session includes a keynote address by Francis Scarpaleggia, Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons, on the security, health, and wellbeing of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff.

The day will also witness the formal transfer of the CSPOC chairmanship, with Om Birla handing over the role to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons, who will host the 29th edition of the conference. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event and addressed delegates at the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan. In his remarks, he said India has successfully turned its diversity into a strength, supported by strong democratic institutions that ensure stability, efficiency, and the ability to function on a large scale.

Om Birla, in his address, urged Commonwealth nations to share responsibility in tackling challenges such as misinformation, cybercrime, and social fragmentation, while also acknowledging the rapid global transformation driven by technologies like artificial intelligence. Several international participants emphasized the significance of India hosting the conference. Jamaican High Commissioner to India, Jason Keats Matthew Hall, said it was appropriate for the world’s largest democracy to host such a forum, noting that it provided a platform to discuss critical issues shaping democracy in the 21st century. He also underlined the importance of regulating artificial intelligence to ensure its responsible use.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle described his return to India as a pleasure and characterized the conference as a coming together of the democratic community. Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi, Sameer Gaffar Suleman, attending his first Commonwealth meeting, thanked the Indian government and Prime Minister Modi for their hospitality, calling the sessions highly educational. According to an official statement, CSPOC discussions are covering a wide range of modern parliamentary concerns, including the changing role of Speakers, the use of technology in legislative work, and ways to deepen citizen participation in democratic processes.